


you can't have my heart

by 10velysweetfantasy



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, Discrimination, M/M, Science Fiction, cameos by yeri irene and suho, idk this is just really weird, mentioned jeno jaemin yukhei jisung, there is a bit of violence in this sorry, this is set in the future, you'll see what i mean by discrimination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-25
Updated: 2019-06-25
Packaged: 2020-05-19 18:21:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19362115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10velysweetfantasy/pseuds/10velysweetfantasy
Summary: Mark Lee never meant to fall in love with a Sims. Sims were cruel and untouchable, able to mentally manipulate and control whoever they wanted, whenever they wanted.But he couldn't deny Hyuck could have asked him to jump off a cliff and he would have done it, Sims or not.





	you can't have my heart

**Author's Note:**

> please be gentle i just really wanted to write so i whipped this up and it's kinda decent so i wanted to post it. it's unedited, i'm sorry :( also sorry if it's kind of sloppy, maybe i'll go back and fix it later on. also, let me know if you want to see more of this universe? maybe i can add to it with some other ships, i have some Ideas. thank you!
> 
> p.s., this is kind of a lil gift for my leia !!

It’s been an ongoing debate for decades on just  _ how  _ Sims came about. Some believe that it was as simple as an error in the makeup of genetic code, creating something human but just not quite in certain ways. Others believe that, just like cyborgs and androids, they were created in a lab, a lack of emotion present in the scientists who created something that lacked a good number of attributes that contribute to their humanity. There are even more absurd theories out there, and although Mark is sure he’s heard about every single one there is to exist (his best friend has a lot to say on the matter), he’s not sure what to believe other than the fact that Sims are cruel, they’re monsters.

 

That being said, he has to add that there can’t be anyway they were brought about naturally. It's a horrible thing to think about another living creature, but when he looks into the eyes of a Sim as they take delight in controlling a regular human, he knows that something is cross wired in their brain and that there’s something distinctly less human about them than if they hadn’t been born a Sims. 

 

In 2207, it’s easy for Sims to come about, so easy in fact that they almost outnumber humans, cyborgs, and androids, which is of course, a scary thought. What would the world come to if Sims, who can control any living being with a mere thought or flick of the finger, became the majority? It’s not something Mark could say he likes to think about. But even so, Sims are created through many ways in their current day: genetic modification, birth, labs, and sometimes it just randomly manifests in life, and you’re no longer human and it’s almost as if suddenly that had never been human at all. 

 

Despite humans breeding like rabbits in order to prevent Sims from becoming majority rule, it felt like most days it wasn’t enough as more and more Sims popped up, seemingly out of air in some cases. Of course, Sims are almost as human as the rest of them, but  _ almost  _ is the key word. If humans find more fear in Sims than they do androids, then Mark supposes that’s a problem. Albeit, a problem that can’t be fixed because as scared they all are of Sims, they’re living and breathing as well and Mark is rather opposed to mass genocide. He’s not so sure androids are against it though, which is good that humans are still majority rule over  _ all  _ of them, preventing the world from falling into chaos. 

 

Mark knows that not all humans are scared by Sims, and to that he always thinks,  _ you should be.  _ He’s seen first hand the damage and destruction that can occur from them, but that being said, not  _ all  _ of them are terrible. It didn’t mean that they don’t have the capability of being terrible, though, and that’s something that Mark carries around with him always. 

 

At this point in his life, he even has a Sims perfectly fixated in his life: his older sister’s boyfriend. While Mark makes it his life mission to avoid him, Wendy insists that he’s amazing and treats her amazing as well and has never ever done any harm to anyone before. Mark always tacks onto the end of the sentence, “as far as you know”. Then Wendy’s face darkens at his words and she avoids him for the rest of the day, and sometimes, Mark finds it in himself to feel bad.

 

But most days, no matter how deep he digs, he feels a vague sort of emptiness. He’s sorry he said those words to Wendy, but not that he thought them and especially not that they’re  _ true _ . 

 

Because to him, in his eyes, Sims will always be monsters and as nice as they seem, they can decimate an entire family in an instance. So yes, he’s glad Junmyeon treats Wendy well, but he can’t say he’d ever want Wendy to marry him. 

 

It’s just a common known fact: Sims are not to be trusted. 

 

*

 

It was in the fourth grade that Mark truly realized the gravity, the control, and the intensity that Sims possessed. He’d observed them mindlessly use their “gift” before in class, but he had never been on the receiving end of it, not until the last month of fourth grade, not until he was almost irrevocably torn apart all because of an angry Sims. 

 

Mark stood at the edge of the giant stair well in their elementary school, toes hanging over the edge just slightly as he peered down at the crowd of other kids. His misery was apparently a spectator sport. He wanted badly to back away from the edge, knowing exactly what was going to happen if he didn’t move, but that was the thing about Sims: you couldn’t move once they had their way with you. 

 

The boy’s name had long since faded in Mark’s mind, but that didn’t mean the memory of his voice, his raucous laughter bouncing off the walls had faded with it. For a ten year old, he was undeniably cruel, but as was to be expected from his kind. Mark swallowed hard, blinking back tears, his tongue rendered useless in his mouth, not even giving him the chance to turn back and beg the other child to let him be.

 

“Alright, Markie,” the boy crooned, voice much too vile to belong to a mere fourth grader. “I think you know what happens next right?”

 

And Mark did know, and not only did he know, he could envision how it would play out. The Sims would utter the words nice and slow,  _ throw yourself down the stairs _ , and Mark would. He would slam against each step with a sickening blow to separate parts of his body, and then the Sims would leave him at the bottom in a pile of broken bones and blood. It wasn’t what Mark wanted, but when you were being played right into the hands of a Sims, it wasn’t about what you wanted anymore.

 

Mark squeezed his eyes, grateful for that small gift, preparing himself for what he knew was to come. And yet, it didn’t, because a gasp rippled through the crowd that had gathered to watch Mark’s doom, horrified that there wasn’t a single thing that any of them could do to help. Mark felt the tight hold on his body slip away allowing him to turn around and inspect what was playing out right behind him. 

 

Mark’s eyes widened. 

 

Donghyuck Lee, perhaps the most powerful Sims in his grade, had the bully beneath him, foot on planted firmly on his chest. Donghyuck was smaller than most in the grade, but clearly that didn’t matter in the moment. Mark nearly winced away, noticing the raging fire in Donghyuck’s eyes. He was only ten and already so powerful, Mark wasn’t sure he wanted to see what he would grow up into. 

 

“I thought I said to stop picking on people who can’t fight back,” Donghyuck snapped, his words clipped from clearly barely restrained anger. It was in that moment that Mark wondered if Donghyuck was powerful enough to make another Sims self destruct. “This against school rules. And my own set of rules.”

 

Mark was inclined to keep watching, wanting to see how it would play out. How Donghyuck would simply and cooly disassemble the bully with only words, and maybe even take delight out of it. To Mark, Donghyuck was the scariest of them all, but in the moment, he was a savior. His attention was abruptly ripped away from them though, as Wendy and Jaehyun came stumbling up to Mark, obviously upset from their flushed cheeks and turned down mouths.

 

“What happened?” Wendy’s voice was shrill and Mark noticed that Joohyun, Doyoung, and Taeyong had all followed behind Jaehyun and Wendy. The two moved so quickly though, that his sister’s friend were soon obscured from view, blocked out by their bodies. “Did they do something to you, Minhyung?”

 

The sound of Mark’s Korean name falling off of Wendy’s name so gently nearly reduced Mark to tears, but he managed to force a smile to placate both Wendy and Jaehyun. Jaehyun’s doughy cheeks were void of his trade mark dimples, as his eyes fell behind Mark to watch Donghyuck and the bully. Understanding seemed to have taken place of the worry, but anger to still flickered deep inside Jaehyun, an anger Mark wasn’t sure he’d ever fully understand. 

 

Wendy seemingly understood the situation without it needing to be explained as well, and the look that had fallen upon her face was akin to heartbreak. Wendy had never found reasons to fear the Sims, in fact, she had always made friends with them, case in point with Doyoung and Joohyun. For her to discover a Sims had tried to take her brother from her must have been world changing news.

 

Mark didn’t want a Sims, indirectly, to break her heart. So he threw his arms around his eleven year old sister and hugged her tight for all it was worth. They stood in each other’s embrace for so long that no one dared to try to separate them, of course except for Donghyuck.

 

The ten year old stood at their side, face resolute, and gently called both their names. They detangled themselves in order to look at him, and in doing so, Mark noticed Donghyuck’s friends; Jaemin, a Sims, and Jisung, a human, standing off at the side, watching with wide eyes. Wendy instantly threw herself at Donghyuck, letting out small sniffly thank yous for saving her baby brother. If Mark wasn’t  so shocked at the fact that Donghyuck had helped him at all, he might have found it embarrassing.

 

“Mark,” Donghyuck’s voice was softer now that it was directed at Mark. “If something like this ever happens again, Jaemin and I are always around. I don’t ever want to see you get hurt by the hands of a Sims.”

 

Mark didn’t know it at the time, but those words held true, even in high school as Mark sits comfortably at his lunch table with Renjun, Yukhei, and Chenle, and watch as Donghyuck saunters across the room to verbally assault yet another Sims he had caught fucking up. 

 

“You’re doing it again,” Renjun chides, although he sounds less like he’s scolding and more like he’s amused by the situation. Mark’s ears and cheeks tint an unhealthy shade of pink and he ducks down to take a bite out of his sandwich in order to hide it from his asshole friends. 

 

“I’m not doing anything.” Mark’s tone is firm, hoping to imply that this is the end of the discussion, before any such discussion can really begin. Of course, his friends don’t know how to take the hint.

 

“You two have been in love, since what? Fourth grade?” Chenle inquires, his lips tilting up into a taunting grin that Mark, if given the chance, would knock off his face in an instant. He’s anti-violence though, driven by the amount of violence that he’s subjected to in the real world, and truthfully, can’t find it in him to ever lay a hand on his youngest friend. 

 

“We’re not in love,” Mark snaps, eyebrows furrowed at the implication. 

 

“It’s on and off again,” Renjun explains patiently, eyes alight with amusement, as if torturing Mark is his own personal form of entertainment. In fact, it probably is. “Donghyuck tries to befriend Mark, even asks him out though he claims it’s just a friendly thing to do, and Mark dodges him unless it’s a good week, then he’ll say yes. They’ll study in the library together, Mark will be over the moon for two days. Then he’ll remember that all Sims are monsters and goes through an emotional crisis where he’s fearful that Donghyuck is manipulating him and he’ll ice out the poor boy for maybe two weeks.” 

 

Mark isn’t sure if he’s more astounded by the fact that Renjun got all of that out without taking a breath in between or the fact that Renjun knows the Mark and Donghyuck story better than the two main players themselves.

 

“Oh, that’s right!” Chenle exclaims cheerfully, everything about his demeanor and tone down right mockful. 

 

Mark wants to protest and truthfully, explain his side of the argument better, but before he can, there’s a crash at the other end of the lunch room, and they’re all jolting to their feet to get a better look. The sight is alluring and horrifying all at once. One of Mark’s predictions, had in fact, come true: Donghyuck was such a strong Sims that he had managed to train himself on how to control  _ other  _ Sims. This worked out awfully well for Donghyuck’s anti bullying campaign and somewhat vigilante behavior.

 

Donghyuck had cornered the bullying Sims, Jaeyoon Mark’s mind supplies a name, while Mark and his friends had bickering. But while his attention had been drawn away, harsh words and commands must have been exchanged. Donghyuck’s expression was less impassive than it usually would be in these situations, Mark had witnessed it several times, and rather, his face was twisted up in contempt and pure disgust. 

 

Jaeyoon is prone at Donghyuck’s feet, writhing with pain that no one can see the source of, and Donghyuck stands before him, eyes dark as he stares down at the bully unforgivingly. Jaeyoon’s mouth parts to let out a small pants and whimpers, but beyond that, that’s all Donghyuck is allowing him to do other than experience pain. Mark is frozen to his spot, eyes bouncing back and forth between the two Sims. 

 

“Remember, Jaeyoon,” Donghyuck purrs, lips curling up in a pleased grin that ties knots in Mark’s stomach. He can’t source out the reason  _ why  _ but Donghyuck constantly makes him feel that way. “Karma’s a bitch and I’m merely her messenger.” His grin falls as quickly as it forms and he raises the volume of his voice for the next part, “Continue to harm humans and see what I do next. I’m not to be fucked with.”

 

Mark nods numbly, agreeing despite not being the one spoken to. Him and Donghyuck are just barely friends, but this doesn’t mean that Mark doesn’t know what Donghyuck is capable of, and this display in the lunchroom is only a fraction of what he can do to the next person who decides to bully a human. 

 

Donghyuck releases his hold on Jaeyoon, and Mark can tell because Jaeyoon slumps against the ground, relief swimming in his features. The smaller Sims begins to walk away, seemingly pleased with the outcome of the confrontation, and Mark notices the way Jaeyoon’s body coils before anyone else does.

 

“ _ Donghyuck! _ ” He cries, shoes skidding across the floor as he tries to grab Donghyuck and pull him against his body. Donghyuck turns, shocked by Mark’s outcry, apparent by his round eyes and open mouth. For a moment, he lights up, lips curling into a smile, happy that Mark is talking to him again, but it doesn’t last but a moment before Jaeyoon’s fist has connected with his face. Mark lets out an undignified yelp and before he can bolt forward to help Hyuckie, Yukhei has beat him to the punch.

 

Yukhei hates violence as well, refuses to even play football despite his massive size, but it doesn’t mean that he won’t protect his friends at a moment’s notice. This is no different, clearly. It takes no time for him to peel Jaeyoon away, to discard him to the floor again, with Yerim and Jaemin crowded on either side of him. Mark is glad it’s not him in Jaeyoon’s position, fully aware of how powerful and scary each of the three of them are on their own. 

 

Mark has no interest in Jaeyoon’s fate, and instead, cups Donghyuck’s face without even thinking about it. Donghyuck doesn’t look particularly angry by the turn of events, rather his lips are pushed out into a pout, which looks absolutely ridiculous what with the blood dripping down his chin. 

 

Mark wipes at the blood with his thumb, stares at Donghyuck sadly.

 

Donghyuck, despite everything, has the smile of an angel. “Don’t worry, Markie. I’m okay.”

 

Mark knows he’s okay, but he knows that maybe one day when Donghyuck decides to handle someone on his own, it may not be okay. So Mark throws his arms around Donghyuck and holds him tightly, reconsidering every thought that has plagued him at night and prevented him from being with Donghyuck openly and happily. 

 

Once, in freshman year, Mark had watched Donghyuck make a bully pour milk over her own head then, to put the cherry on top, lap up the spilled milk on the ground. For days, Mark had avoided him, believing that to be beyond cruel, but then Renjun had told Mark about how that very same girl made a human break each of their fingers one by one for  _ fun,  _ and Mark had vomited. 

 

Sophomore year, Mark watched as Donghyuck sang Jisung to sleep outside of a party, in Joohyun’s beat up car that Yerim had borrowed. Mark didn’t have to listen very carefully to know that Donghyuck was using his gift to soothe Jisung and help him sleep, to protect him from whatever it was that had frightened the younger. Donghyuck and Mark had met eyes, and Mark had felt a little off balance for the rest of the night, drinking so much that when Donghyuck came inside and handled the Sims that had bothered Jisung, he wasn’t even afraid. 

 

And now, in junior year, Mark realizes that Sims had the capability of being cruel and destructive, but so did Mark. From the amount of times he had rejected Donghyuck, avoided him, called his kind monsters, and had even gone as far babbling out in a drunken stupor “you  _ can’t  _ have my heart, stop trying to make me give it to you”, Mark realized he had been the cruel one while Donghyuck had been a guardian angel of sorts.

 

“I’m sorry,” Mark whispers to Donghyuck, who tangles his fingers in Mark’s hair as comforting as he can with blood on his face. “For how I’ve treated you. You’re special, Donghyuck. Truly. So I think I’ve reconsidered.” 

 

Donghyuck is confused, peering at Mark with muddied emotions in his eyes. “Reconsidered?”   
  


Mark swallows hard, pushing down the fear that constantly follows him around. “Yes,” he says softly, brushing the hair away from Dongnhyuck’s eyes, taking in his constellation of freckles. “I’ve decided that you can have my heart.” His fingers wrap around Donghyuck’s hand and guide to his chest to press his palm over his beating heart. “It’s yours. I’m not afraid of you or your gift, in fact, you can ask me to drown myself and I’ll do it because I think I’m in love with you.”

 

It was sudden and it was all based off the fact that Donghyuck is special, he’s an angel, protecting those who need it, including Mark. And Mark doesn’t regret it, not at all, not even when Donghyuck pushes that gift into the words  _ kiss me  _ because Mark wants it, and he knows, Donghyuck would never make him do something he doesn’t want.

 

The only problem about it is, he knows he’s going to get a lot of I told you so’s from Wendy, but he thinks he might be able to withstand it with Donghyuck by his side. 

 

*

Donghyuck curled up fast asleep in Mark’s lap as cartoons play on the TV, and Wendy carding her hand through Joohyun’s hair as she sleeps with her head on the other girl’s shoulder, Mark finds himself smiling. Wendy peeks over, quiet and questioningly.

 

“How lucky are we?” he says and Wendy waits for him to add on, her dark eyes sliding to the Sims in Mark’s lap. “We found Sims who love us and would protect us anyday. I’m beginning to think that Sims aren’t monsters, but a gift.”

 

Wendy’s eyes well up with prideful tears and she blinks them away, reaching out to hold her younger brother’s hand.

 

“He thinks the same about you too, Markie.” 

 

Mark peers down at Donghyuck, and without it being said, he knows it. Donghyuck finds Mark just as wonderful as Mark finds him. They have a mutual fascination with one another, taking time to learn new things about the other. Mark no longer sees blood and destruction when he looks at Yerim or Jaemin or Donghyuck. He sees flowers and spring and hope, fingers interlocked, halos of gold, and gentle smiles that drip with honey.

 

*

 

So, it's an ongoing debate on how Sims were created. Maybe in a lab, in genetics, out of thin air. Mark doesn’t take to those theories anymore, instead he prefers to whisper in his boyfriends ear that the only answer is he’s an angel put on earth to choose his own path: destruction or salvation.

 

Donghyuck blushes and Mark knows as he looks at him, knowing that he’s right, and he fills in the wings and halo with his mind.

**Author's Note:**

> if you want to come talk, ask questions, or just hang out this is my [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/nanasbun) and [Twitter](https://twitter.com/nneptuness)


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